This is clearly Apple's customer base sending a strong message that they want more out of the proverbial "walled garden."

Apple's app ecosystem is closely regulated, with the company signing off on each and every app before it's admitted for sale. But the iPhone and iPad prove to be more versatile platforms than Apple is willing to let them be.

We know this is the case because it's been true from the day the very first iPhone was jailbroken – developers working outside the conventions of legitimacy and without Apple's blessing have since been bringing cool and extremely useful apps to iOS users. Turn your phone into a WiFi hotspot to use the data you already pay for. Play Nintendo games on device. Even block iMessages, which seems like a common sense functionality to include in the regular software but is still missing.

Jailbroken iPhones aren't supported by Apple's warranty (as is the case with lost or water-damaged phones). But jailbreaking doesn't make your phone a liability – it simply fulfills its potential. And more and more iOS users are beginning to realize it.